SSA Review (Layers & Plate Tectonics)

Which layer is made of the crust and upper mantle?

• lithosphere
• asthenosphere
• mesosphere
• outer core

What is the source of energy that drives Earth’s tectonic movement, the formation of earthquakes, and the eruption of volcanoes?

• tidal energy from Earth’s oceans

• heat energy from Earth’s molten layers

• magnetic energy from Earth’s magnetic field

• light energy from the Sun that reaches Earth’s surface

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

NGSS.HS-ESS2-3

Which characteristic of the outer core makes it unique among the other layers of Earth?

• The outer core is the densest, making it more rigid than the other layers.

• The outer core is the only layer made of silicate rock, allowing it to flow and move in convection currents.

• The outer core is the hottest of all the layers, creating a buildup of pressure that makes it solid.

• The outer core is the only layer that is composed of liquid metal, making it responsible for Earth’s magnetic field.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-3

Folding and faulting are two examples of slow changes by which plate tectonics can shape Earth’s surface.  Which of the following describes a difference between these two processes?

• Folding is caused by circular movement of the plates around each other, while faulting causes pressure and heat to be reduced.

• Folding begins with the fracturing of the rock, while faulting takes place when high heat and pressure are exerted horizontally.

• Folding takes place when pressure and heat bend rock horizontally or vertically, while faulting begins with fracturing of the rock.

• Folding is caused by forces of the plates found close to the surface of Earth, while faulting occurs through continental collisions deep within Earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following correctly identifies the type of plate boundary and the resulting action shown at B?

• A convergent boundary; as the mantle moves, it spreads, cools, and falls, forming new material that develops new land.

• A transform boundary; the continental plate pushes against the oceanic plate causing the formation of a continental rift zone.

• A convergent boundary; as the oceanic plate moves under the continental plate, the oceanic plate sinks into the mantle leading to the creation of a volcanic chain.

• A transform boundary; two crustal plates are pushing past each other, forcing the oceanic plate to move below the continental plate, which is forced to move upwards and form volcanoes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Using data from satellites, scientists estimate that the Atlantic Ocean crust is expanding in width by approximately two centimeters (cm) each year.  Which of these statements best describes the cause of this expansion?

• Conduction of heat from the mantle enlarges the crustal plates containing the Atlantic Ocean.

• Convection within the mantle brings magma up to the crust in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, building new sea floor.

• As the crustal plates containing the mainland of North America and Europe get older, they sink, causing the Atlantic Ocean to spread.

• At the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the crustal plates containing North America and Europe collide, causing volcanic activity and earthquakes.

According to the theory of plate tectonics, what happens when two continental plates collide?

• the plates converge and create rift zones

• the plates converge and create mid-ocean ridges

• the plates converge and the crust pushes upward creating mountain ranges

• the plates converge and one plate is subducted under the other creating a trench

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

As the plates that make up Earth’s surface move, large rifts form between them. If new crust did not form, Earth’s surface would be covered with large fissures (valleys). How is new crust formed?

• New crust is formed as lava from oceanic ridges fills in the fissures on the seafloor.

• New crust is formed as the lithospheric plates, moving across the mantle, crumble and fill in the rift.

• Convection currents within the hot convecting mantle cause molten rock to rise, filling in the rift and creating new crust.

• The mesospheric convection cells push cooler, denser material up to the surface, which forms the new crust layers and fills in the rifts.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

How does a scientific law differ from a theory?

• A law is based on empirical evidence, whereas a theory is an educated guess.

• A law describes regular patterns in nature, whereas a theory explains the pattern.

• A law can be changed as new information is obtained, whereas a theory does not change.

• A law is established based on a theory, whereas a theory can be independent of prior knowledge.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-1

Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust. Which of the following is most likely to happen when a plate carrying oceanic crust collides with a plate carrying continental crust?

• The plates collide and mountain formation begins.

• The plates collide and convection in the mantle stops.

• The oceanic plate gradually sinks into the mantle and melts.

• The continental plate gradually sinks into the mantle and melts

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3